B.J. and the Bear: A Coffin with a View

Universal City: Universal Studios, 1979. Two Draft scripts for the third episode of the first season, both copies belonging to actress Christina Cummings who played the character Nancy Duvall. The episode aired on NBC on May 10, 1979.

Laid in is a gathering of 20 green revision pages, dated 2/15/79, four xerographically duplicated revision pages dated 2/17/79, and an eight-page, xerographically duplicated shooting schedule.

The first of the two Draft scripts, printed on pink leaves with blue revision pages, has Cummings' name written on the top of the title page, and manuscript marker annotations on six dog-eared pages, including her name adjacent to her character's circled name on the cast page, here as "Kathy Duvall." The second of the Draft scripts is printed on yellow leaves with manuscript marker and ink annotations on six dog-eared pages, with her character's name here changed to "Nancy Duvall."

Produced at the height of the CB radio and trucking craze of the late 1970's, "B.J. and the Bear" was created by Glean A. Larson and Christopher Crow, and starred Greg Evigan as Billie Joe "B.J." McKay, a freelance trucker who travels the highways of the US with his pet chimpanzee, Bear. The series premiered on October 4, 1978 and aired for three seasons and 46 episodes ending on May 9, 1981.

In this episode, B.J. and the Bear drive two coffins from Transylvania to Los Angeles from San Francisco as a publicity stunt for a movie during a dangerously stormy night and encounter a strange caretaker, played by John Carradine. Featuring Danny Glover in his television debut.

Pink Draft script:
Front wrapper integral with title page, dated February 5, 1979, with credits for screenwriter Michael Sloan. 70 leaves, with last page of text numbered 67. Mimeograph duplication, rectos only, with blue revision pages throughout, dated 2/8/79. Pages Very Good plus, with the title page detached, bound with two gold brads.

Yellow Draft script:
Front wrapper integral with title page, dated February 5, 1978, with credits for screenwriter Michael Sloan. 69 leaves, with last page of text numbered 66. Mimeograph duplication, rectos only. Pages Very Good, bound with two gold brads.

[Book #166713]